Presbytery of the South West: ‘changes prepare Church for the future’

The Church of Scotland is on target with streamlining its presbytery structures by 2024 as part of a wider drive to meet the demands of 21st century mission, the Church states in a news release.

These radical reforms will see the number of presbyteries in Scotland fall from more than 40 to under a dozen, creating a simpler structure to support the work of the Church as it looks for fresh opportunities to grow, reach out and serve communities across the country.

The ambitious target was agreed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 2019. This year’s General Assembly noted that it had been encouraging to see how the leadership of local presbyteries around the country had responded to the challenge and seen the opportunities which the new structure would present.

The most recent of the new look presbyteries to be formed is the Presbytery of the South West, bringing together the former Ardrossan, Irvine and Kilmarnock, Ayr, Wigtown and Stranraer, Annandale and Eskdale, and Dumfries and Kirkcudbright presbyteries.

The new presbytery held its first official meeting on Saturday 1 October, the day after it officially came into being, at St Marnoch’s Parish Church, Kilmarnock.

This included the installation of the first Moderator for the new presbytery, Rev Brian Hendrie, and the swearing in of its first presbytery clerk, Mrs Christine Murray, as well as the appointment of other roles including treasurer and safeguarding officer.

It also allowed representatives from the former presbyteries to get to know each other.

Mrs Murray said: “The first meeting was a very positive experience, starting with a moving service involving all the Moderators from the ‘old’ presbyteries leading us in prayer before our new Moderator was installed.

“All our conveners have already proved to be hard working and more than capable, as they grapple with the complexity of unifying so many different approaches and traditions, and I have been overwhelmed by the number of messages of support not only from ministers and members of presbytery but from congregational members from Arran to Lockerbie.

“I am sure that, with such a level of goodwill behind us, we will succeed in advancing the Word of God in the Presbytery of the South West.”

• Full story at the Church of Scotland.